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It has been 20 years after the legendary game hit the market across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to become rock legends. Not literally, but try telling that anyone who's nailed Free Bird’s lengthy instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic living-room audience.

Developed by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match coloured notes scrolling down the display in time with a song. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, producing the feel of a genuine live show.

Harmonix had already experimented in the music genre before partnering with the publisher, which was purchased by the gaming giant in 2006. Together, they established the foundations for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant influence on numerous musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of gaming enthusiasts.

A former executive, ex-chief operating officer from the developer, remembers the initial budgetary hurdles in securing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured cover versions.

“We rerecorded all the music since the cost prohibitive,” he says. “Despite having the necessary permissions alone, it proved extremely difficult. We couldn’t get bands like legendary groups – RedOctane was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain the project would flop. However, when the game took off, and record sales and radio play increased, all artists desired to be in.”

He adds: “One of the remarkable aspects was the number of parents got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became a multigenerational thing.”

Timeless Music Gains Younger Fans

Irish blues-rock band the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game Guitar Hero World Tour. Guitarist the artist recalls how the series revived classic rock to the forefront: “The game provided a larger, younger audience. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the game and teenagers were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided all our music a new life.”

In 2008, the Answer’s first record remained unreleased stateside, meaning Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the group during their US tour supporting the rock giants. “Their crew were playing the song during travel, and several knew us thanks to the game,” Mahon says.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Impact

Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in specialized spin-off titles that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and rock’n’roll mythology. For example, the Aerosmith edition, it was said to have made the band more money than any of their records. It moved more than 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of their songs rose significantly during an era when the music business was already collapsing.

The series still motivates quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, an online personality completed an impressive attempt featuring the challenging track – an infamously tough anthem made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with almost identical mechanics and extensive personalization features. This track is difficult enough on expert mode, let alone performed at double speed and without missing a single one of the thousands of cues. They stated requiring months of practice of practice.

“Guitar Hero offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, it doesn't imply you ought to pick up a real gun and enlist,” notes DragonForce guitarist the artist.

The band had already wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it turned them into a household name. “I remember the record label informing us that we were selling albums rapidly,” he says. “It exploded when we next toured, and we performed just before the headliners on the Mayhem festival.”

Indeed, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it has threatened to overshadow everything else accomplishments. Recently, the song was used in a trailer for a major film. “In the past I felt otherwise, but I’ve made peace with it,” he admits. “Should you just listen to a single track, that's fine – everyone’s got a unique path in music and I’m glad we’ve been part in fans' experiences”.

Enduring Legacy from the Plastic Guitar

The best promotion, whether it’s for cars, apparel or games, extends beyond mere transactions – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “Precisely what our team trying to create,” Dornbrook says. “That thrill of being a music icon on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

The majority installments came out over a mere half-decade from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles like the DJ version, complete with a turntable controller, and the band-focused game. Subsequently, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival several years later.

Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the community active, and there’s expectations of something from the founders in development. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace another game in the spirit of the classic?

“We thought such titles could be like Madden where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant new music it could remain perennially popular, so I’ve always been hopeful. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”